Money
Donations rise ahead of bankruptcy reform
As the House prepares to vote on whether to make it harder for people to erase consumer debts in bankruptcy courts, records show that finance and credit card companies pushing the legislation have more than doubled their political donations in recent years.
Contributions to federal candidates and the political parties from finance and credit card companies during the 2000 election totaled $9.2 million, compared with $4.3 million in 1996. Commercial bank political contributions jumped 57 percent over the same period, from $16.6 million to $26.1 million.
Environment
Plan to ban oil drilling at Arctic site unveiled
Two days after Republicans unveiled an energy bill that would allow oil drilling in an Arctic wildlife refuge, legislation was introduced Wednesday in both the House and Senate to permanently protect the area from oil rigs.
A bill by Sen. Joe Lieberman, D-Conn., would designate the 1.5-million-acre coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge a wilderness area, barring future development. A similar bill was introduced in the House.
President Bush has made drilling in the Arctic refuge a centerpiece of his energy plan, arguing that oil and gas can be taken from the area without environmental harm.
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